Giants' three-time All-Star 3B Evan Longoria to make season debut Wednesday
The San Francisco Giants have won an NL-best four games in a row, have a +34 run differential and are six games over .500 at 18-12. Still, because they're competing in the best division in baseball where all five teams have a winning record -- the NL West -- the Giants are currently in third place.
If manager Gabe Kapler's club is to keep up with the heavily-favored Los Angeles Dodgers and company throughout the summer, a healthy Evan Longoria could go a long way in helping the cause. After missing the beginning of the year with a finger injury, the three-time All-Star will make his season debut on Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies.
Longoria is starting his fifth season in the Bay Area after spending the first 10 years of his career with the Tampa Bay Rays. After playing in at least 120 games in all but two of his first 13 seasons (2012 and the pandemic-shortened 2020 season) "Longo" was limited to 253 at-bats over 81 games in 2021 due to a shoulder sprain.
The 2006 third overall pick earned AL Rookie of the Year honors with the Rays in 2008 after hitting 27 home runs and collecting 85 RBIs and was an All-Star that year as well. Longoria helped Tampa Bay reach the World Series during his rookie campaign -- they fell to the Philadelphia Phillies -- hammering out six home runs in the postseason, including four in the ALCS against the Boston Red Sox.
The 36-year-old recorded career highs in RBIs (113) and runs scored (100) in 2009, while earning his first of three Gold Gloves (and two in a row), second straight All-Star nod and only Silver Slugger award. Longoria has finished as high as sixth in his league's MVP voting, both in 2010 and 2013.
He'll enter the 2022 season with 317 career home runs, 1,089 RBIs, 961 runs scored, 1,818 hits, 409 doubles and a .266/.335/.473 slash line.
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